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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22915279">Exhaustion</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_brilliant_thor/pseuds/its_brilliant_thor'>its_brilliant_thor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>unOrdinary (Webcomic)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Happy John, M/M, tired arlo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:01:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>736</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22915279</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_brilliant_thor/pseuds/its_brilliant_thor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Arlo is tired. John notices.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arlo/John Doe (unOrdinary)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>331</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Exhaustion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Arlo walked through the halls of Wellston, more for his own sake than monitoring the school. To anyone who didn’t know him, he looked normal; as uptight and stern as he always is. But someone who knows him would notice the tics. The hint of hollowness in his eyes. The ever so slightly slouched posture. The quick, tight steps he took rather than the usual long confident strides. The deeper, frustrated furrow in his brow. He was exhausted.</p><p>Arlo turned the corner and saw John at his locker. John looked up at the figure in his peripheral, and realized that it was Arlo. They lock eyes. Then John’s golden gaze travels, studying his posture; Arlo feels like he’s under silent interrogation. They lock eyes again, and John looks at him in sympathy.<br/>
<br/>
“You look horrible.”</p><p>An involuntary grin spreads on his face, and he shakes his head. “You’re the only one who noticed.”</p><p>“Of course I am. I was a King, I get it. You need to seem strong no matter the situation, even if you feel like you’ll drop dead from exhaustion. You can’t afford for even one person to see you weak.” John states bluntly.</p><p>“I sense a lecture coming,” Arlo replies.</p><p>John throws everything in his locker and closes it. Then he strides over to Arlo and puts a hand on his shoulder. “No lecture. Come with me.”</p><p>John brings them to the roof. It was familiar terrain, and when a light breeze fluttered by they both noticeably relaxed. Arlo goes to lie on the ground and John follows suit. They stare at the ivory clouds decorating the rich blue sky.</p><p>“Hey, come closer. No one’s here but us, so you-”</p><p>Before John even finishes his sentence, Arlo flops his body over and thunks his face into John’s chest, releasing pent up anger with a muffled, aggravated screech.</p><p>John immediately begins cackling, and reaches a hand up to run his fingers through the thick blonde tresses. “Bad day?” He asks through interrupting chuckles.</p><p>“Bad week.”</p><p>“It’s only Tuesday.” Arlo lets out another displeased noise.</p><p>“Cheer up Arlo, you’ve only got 3 more days,” John pauses. “Well actually, four if you count today.”</p><p>Arlo raises his head and glares at John. John whistles. “Look at those pretty eyes, being used for such malice. What did I do?”</p><p>Arlo huffs, seeing as his patented glare of shame never works on John, and nuzzled his face back into John’s chest. John resumes his petting.</p><p>They lie there for the rest of the period. Within five minutes, Arlo is dozing peacefully on the edge of unconsciousness. John, for once, deliberately stays quiet. He understands Arlo’s exasperation, and knows that Arlo probably wants to relax.</p><p>He lets him rest as long as he can. When the bell rings, John shakes him awake; there had been some merit to what John mentioned earlier. As much as he’d love to stay there all day with him, Arlo still has kingly duties and it’s his job to tend to them.</p><p>Arlo snuffles, and lifts his head. John smiles at him. “Ready to go back?” He asks.</p><p>Everything comes back to Arlo and he remembers why he was up there in the first place. The stress he’d been under, and still is. He sighs and, this time, places his chin on John's chest.</p><p>“Want me to head over to your room after school?” John offers. “We could take a nap together. I’ll be the big spoon.”</p><p>Arlo nods in relief. Something to look forward to to get him through this long day. “I have a meeting after school with Headmaster Vaughn.”</p><p>“Then I’ll grab some fast food for when you get back.”</p><p>Arlo looks at John in disbelief. “I don’t deserve you,” Arlo says.</p><p>“Stop it, at the very least you deserve a guaranteed stress free year after all the crap I pulled.”</p><p>They go quiet again, neither wanting to leave the calm, quiet of the roof. Then the late bell rings. Arlo groans in despair.</p><p>John starts getting up. Arlo refuses to move, and his head is dragged into an uncomfortable position. John chuckles. “C’mon, you’re over halfway through your day. You can do it.” </p><p> With some effort, John gets Arlo standing. They straighten out their uniforms, brushing off the dirt and creases. John puts his arm around Arlo’s shoulders, and they walk towards the pressure and stress of life together.</p>
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